Ministry of Health issues safe shopping guidelines

Social distancing sounds easy until you really need to leave the house to do some shopping. How can you stay safe inside your local shop or a supermarket? Follow the guidelines of the Polish Ministry of Health.

Despite stricter social distancing rules imposed by the government this week, most Polish groceries continue to operate as usual amid the current pandemic. However, all customers are asked to comply with certain safety guidelines in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Follow the new rules of shopping published by the Polish Ministry of Health and stay safe!

The rules of safe shopping:

1. Always make a shopping list to avoid spending too much time inside the shop.
2. Don’t use public transport - choose shops that are within walking distance from your house or use your own car if necessary.
3. Avoid touching anything unnecessarily. Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth when you are in public places and wash your hands as soon as you get home.
4. Take your own shopping basket or a bag. It will be cleaner.
5. Keep your distance from other people when shopping and queueing.
6. Use contactless payments.
7. “High-touch” surfaces such as touchscreens, self-checkouts or pin pads are likely to be contaminated. Use your little finger knuckle (least likely to touch your face) to enter your PIN number or apply hand sanitiser right after leaving the shop.
8. Stay away from the staff as well, including cashiers when you are packing your groceries.
9. Make sure that you always apply hand sanitiser right after touching any “high-touch” surfaces such as door handles.
10. Use disposable gloves and learn how to remove them safely - start from the outer edge of the first glove and turn it inside out as you peel it off your hand. Put the used glove in the palm of your other (still-gloved) hand and peel the second one starting from the inside (the inner edge). The first glove should end up inside the second one. Dispose of the gloves safely and wash your hands carefully with soap and water or use a sanitiser that contains at least 60% of alcohol.
11. Wash all fruit and vegetables after shopping. Remove the packaging from food items and wash your hands.
12. If you are unsure how to handle raw meat and products, remember that high temperatures (cooking and baking at 60 degrees Cesius for 30 minutes) will kill the virus.
13. Plan ahead to go out as little as possible. Staying at home is the best way of preventing the spread of the virus.
14. Remember about online shopping and delivery options. Restaurants will be grateful if you order a takeaway meal from them.

What else do you need to know about the new shopping rules in Poland?

All shops (including supermarkets) are required to restrict the number of customers allowed inside - to 3 per cash till. Other customers are asked to wait in a queue outside, keeping a distance of no less than 2 metres from each other.

Smaller shops and pharmacies are limiting the number of customers to 1-2 at a time.

The hours between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. are dedicated to senior customers only (aged 65 and older).

All customers are required to wear disposable gloves.

Source: Ministerstwo Zdrowia